Directed Research Project Manuscript Guidebook and Project Format Manuscript Guidebook and Project Format CONTENTS: Section 1: Course Description and Learning Outcomes ..................................................................................... 2 Section 2 : Introductory Guidelines ................................................................................................................... 3 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................ 3 Required Reference ................................................................................................................................................................. 3 Teaching Strategies .................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Peer Review/Technical Advisor ............................................................................................................................................... 4 Certification and Assessment Form ......................................................................................................................................... 4 Class Size ................................................................................................................................................................................ 4 Course Requirements .............................................................................................................................................................. 4 Registration Requirements ...................................................................................................................................................... 5 Grading ................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 LRC Collection of Directed Research Projects ........................................................................................................................ 6 Information Literacy and Library Use ..................................................................................................................................... 6 Directed Research and Human Subjects Policy Statement ....................................................................................................... 6 Section 3: Stages of DRP Development .............................................................................................................. 7 Research Question and Subquestions ...................................................................................................................................... 7 Research Proposal (Chapter One) .......................................................

1. Directed
Research
Project
Manuscript Guidebook
and Project Format
Manuscript Guidebook
and Project Format
CONTENTS:
Section 1: Course Description and Learning Outcomes
..................................................................................... 2
Section 2 : Introductory Guidelines
...............................................................................................
.................... 3
Introduction
...............................................................................................
............................................................................. 3
Required Reference
...............................................................................................
.................................................................. 3
Teaching Strategies
...............................................................................................
................................................................... 4
Peer Review/Technical Advisor

2. ...............................................................................................
................................................ 4
Certification and Assessment Form
...............................................................................................
.......................................... 4
Class Size
...............................................................................................
................................................................................. 4
Course Requirements
...............................................................................................
............................................................... 4
Registration Requirements
...............................................................................................
....................................................... 5
Grading
...............................................................................................
.................................................................................... 5
LRC Collection of Directed Research Projects
...............................................................................................
......................... 6
Information Literacy and Library Use
...............................................................................................
...................................... 6
Directed Research and Human Subjects Policy Statement
...............................................................................................
........ 6
Section 3: Stages of DRP Development
...............................................................................................
............... 7
Research Question and Subquestions
...............................................................................................
....................................... 7
Research Proposal (Chapter One)
...............................................................................................
............................................ 7

3. Chapter 1: Introduction
...............................................................................................
........................................................... 7
Chapter 2: Literature Review
...............................................................................................
................................................... 9
The Research Chapters
...............................................................................................
............................................................ 9
Summary and Conclusions Chapter
...............................................................................................
......................................... 9
Draft of the Directed Research Project
...............................................................................................
..................................... 9
The Final Project
...............................................................................................
.................................................................... 10
The Defense
...............................................................................................
........................................................................... 10
Section 4: The Directed Research Project Proposal
.......................................................................................... 11
The Directed Research Project Proposal Flow Chart
...............................................................................................
.............. 11
Section 5: Characteristics of Research
.......................................................................................... .....
.............. 12
Section 6: Planning and Designing the Research Proposal
............................................................................... 13
Key Questions for Planning and Designing the DRP Proposal
...............................................................................................

4. 13
Components of the DRP Proposal
...............................................................................................
.......................................... 14
Context of the Problem
...............................................................................................
.......................................................... 14
Statement of the Problem
...............................................................................................
....................................................... 14
Research Question/Hypothesis and
Subquestions/Subhypotheses
.......................................................................................... 15
Significance of the Study
...............................................................................................
........................................................ 16
Research Design and Methodology
...............................................................................................
........................................ 16
Premises of the Qualitative and Quantitative Research
...............................................................................................
.......... 17
Organization of the Study
...............................................................................................
...................................................... 17
Proposed Reference List
...............................................................................................
......................................................... 17
Section 7: Writing the Research Chapters 18
Citing the Literature
.................................................................................... ...........
............................................................... 19
Research Sampling
...............................................................................................
................................................................. 20

5. Analysis and Findings
...............................................................................................
............................................................ 20
Section 8: The Final Chapter – Summary and Conclusions
............................................................................. 21
Section 9: DRP Format Requirements
...............................................................................................
.............. 22
Section 10: Certificate of Approval Form
...............................................................................................
......... 25
Section 11: DRP Evaluation Form
...............................................................................................
.................... 26
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE
This document contains information confidential and
proprietary to Strayer University. The information may not
be used, disclosed or reproduced without the prior written
authorization of Strayer University and only in a manner
consistent with the authorization. Reproduction of any section
of this document must include this legend.
STRAYER is a registered service mark of Strayer Education,
Inc. The University claims all rights of ownership to its
trademarks and service marks, which include: “Strayer,”
“Strayer University,” the official logos of Strayer University,
and any other word, phrase, or image associated with Strayer
University. © 2009 Strayer University, Inc.

6. REV – 0310
2
SECTION 1:
Course Description And
Learning Outcomes
COurSE DESCrIPTION
Enables student to complete a research project in the field of
major concentration. The
research project will be monitored by a supervising faculty
member and must be defended by
the student in an oral examination. The oral defense may be
conducted in a conference-style
meeting of student, instructor, and second reader or technical
advisor. A second type of defense
allows students to present a synopsis of their projects during
one of the last two scheduled
class meetings. Students are encouraged to discuss the project
with an instructor or Academic
Advisor early in their programs. Students may not fulfill the
directed research requirement by
completing another course.
LEArNING OuTCOMES
Upon completion of the Directed Research Project, the student
will be able to:
1. Design, conduct, analyze, interpret, apply and write original
research studies applicable
to academic course content and/or the professional work
environment.

7. 2. Present research results in a clear, organized and effective
oral delivery.
3. Identify and use major reference tools appropriately.
3
SECTION 2:
Introductory
Guidelines
Introduction
The Directed Research Project (DRP) is designed as a vehicle
for the graduate student to complete
a research project in his/her field of major concentration. THE
DRP IS NOT A TERM PAPER. The
research project is monitored through its completion by a
supervising seminar professor and, in some
instances, an additional faculty technical advisor. Students must
defend the completed DRP in a
meeting attended by the seminar professor and technical advisor
(if applicable).
rEquIrED rEFErENCE
Leedy, P. D., & Ormrod, J. E. (2010). Practical research:
Planning and design (9th ed.).
New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc.
Strayer University. (2009). Directed research project:
Manuscript guidebook and
project format. Washington, D.C.: Author.

8. American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication
manual of the
American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington,
D.C.: Author.
Note to Instructors: The American Psychological Association
allows one desk copy per instructor; if you have ever received
one before,
a second copy can not be obtained. Copies should be requested
on an individual—not institutional—basis.
Raimes, A. (2009). Keys for writers (5th ed.). Hoboken, New
Jersey:
Cengage Publishing.
Note: This text comes shrink-wrapped with Perrin’s Pocket
Guide to APA Style. The pocket manual is free of charge.
Although
Perrin’s guide provides basic APA information, it is
abbreviated. As a result, purchase of the complete manual
(previously noted) is still
necessary. If any discrepancies exist between the two APA
texts, the full manual published by the American Psychological
Association
should be viewed as the authoritative source.
4
TEAChING STrATEGIES
The course will be conducted as an independent research
project, which will be monitored by
the instructor. The initial class sessions will be used to assist
the students to define their research
problems, develop their research proposals (Chapter 1 of the
DRP), and initiate their research
efforts. Subsequent Individual Project Review meetings between

9. the supervising faculty member
and each student will help address any individual concerns or
problems the student might be
having, and monitor the project’s progress. Instructors will
establish progress milestones and
requirements for draft writings to help the students in managing
their research projects. The final
DRP report will be defended by the student in a presentation to
the instructor, as a minimum,
with possible participation by a technical advisor and/or other
class members.
PEEr rEvIEwEr/TEChNICAL ADvISOr
In those rare instances when the project is out of the scope of
the expertise of the instructor, a
technical advisor may be required to assist the instructor in
guiding and assessing the student’s
project.
CErTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT FOrM
Both the Supervising Instructor and the Peer
Reviewer/Technical Advisor (if applicable) will
also complete a certification and an assessment form that helps
to assess student learning.
The completed assessment form goes to the appropriate
Department Chair and the Office of
Institutional Research for compilation and analysis.
CLASS SIzE
Limit class size to fifteen (15).
COurSE rEquIrEMENTS
Students are required to identify a problem within their major
fields that the research will intend
to solve. Chapter 1 will be written by the student detailing what
the completed DRP/research

10. will entail. This is to be submitted to the seminar professor by
the deadline prescribed by the
professor. Individual project reviews will be conducted with the
seminar professor. Every student
is expected to meet the scheduled times to review his/her
progress and to finalize the problem
statement research questions. The help of a technical advisor
may be solicited at the discretion
and approval of the seminar professor.
5
rEGISTrATION rEquIrEMENTS AND rECOMMENDATIONS
Students must meet three basic requirements prior to registering
for the DRP. These are noted
below. Two additional student status criteria are strongly
recommended to promote academic
success.
1. Required: Prior attendance in DRP Orientation (DRP 999).
Students will not be allowed
to register for the DRP without completion of this orientation
session.
2. Required: Completion of at least 45 quarter hours of graduate
study creditable to the
Master’s degree.
3. Required: Completion of RES 531, which is a prerequisite for
all 590 DRP courses.
3. Recommended: Cumulative GPA of at least 3.00, with no
pending “I” grades.

11. 4. Recommended: Concurrent registration with, at most, one
other graduate course.
GrADING
The nature of this course precludes written examinations as a
means of determining student
achievement. Therefore, the DRP and its defense, along with
student attendance, will determine
the final grade.
1. To achieve an “A” grade, the DRP must be excellent in
content (both factual and
grammatical) and in presentation (both written and oral). The
student must have met
all the draft deadlines, and the final manuscript must have been
submitted by the last
scheduled class. Excellent DRPs that are submitted after the end
of the quarter in which
they are started are not likely to be awarded an “A”. Only
selected “A” graded projects
will be included in the Learning Resources Center (LRC)
collection at the Wilkes Library.
2. The DRP is not a term paper; it is more than a term paper.
3. The DRP must be the student’s original work. Plagiarism will
result in an “F” for the
course and possible disciplinary action, which may include
expulsion from the program.
6
LrC COLLECTION OF DIrECTED rESEArCh PrOjECTS
Directed Research Projects may be recommended by the Dean of

12. the School to be submitted to
Strayer University’s Wilkes Library as part of its Directed
Research Project Collection. These
projects will be made available to other University students as a
demonstration of the University’s
expectations in completion of the Directed Research Project.
Although the basic criterion for
inclusion is an earned “A” grade, all aspects of a project will be
reviewed to judge the work’s
value to Strayer’s collection. Major points that will be screened
by seminar professors are
presentation (organized and professional approach),
grammar/mechanics, and content (factual
and analytical material). Students who would like to view bound
hard copies of previously
submitted Directed Research Projects can do so by showing
their IDs to their LRC Managers and
requesting copies from the Wilkes Library. These DRPs are for
in-library use only. Online model
DRPs are also available on the Strayer website under Learning
Resources Center (LRC).
INFOrMATION LITErACy AND LIbrAry uSE
All students taking the DRP are encouraged to visit their LRC
to tour of the facility and be
shown the online features. In addition, students may review the
collection of Directed Research
Projects that have been identified as those successfully
demonstrating the expected standards of
the DRP. Students may use this collection to extract content and
examine the format. Besides
LRC and Wilkes Library resources, use of institutional
collections such as Library of Congress
and large university libraries are recommended. Strayer
University has a consortium agreement
with the University of Alabama in Huntsville to assist with DRP

13. research. Resources may be
obtained in both hard copy and electronic formats. This
collection can be accessed through
Strayer University’s website: www.strayer.edu under Current
Students/Learning Resource Center.
DIrECTED rESEArCh AND huMAN SubjECTS POLICy
STATEMENT
The Directed Research Project (DRP) is intended to be
completed within a single quarter. Given
this time constraint, it would be difficult to collect data and
institute a review process to ensure
compliance with standards for gathering data from human
subjects to effectively contribute
toward and support the research project.
In view of these considerations, DRP research must be
restricted to projects that do not gather
primary data from individuals. This would include information
gathered through questionnaires,
tests, surveys, observations, or interviews.
This restriction only affects the use of persons as primary
sources. Any data that is available in
the public domain, such as information published by federal,
state or local governments and
various research organizations, colleges or universities may be
used. Likewise, information from
published sources may be freely used.
7
SECTION 3:

14. Stages of
DrP Development
rESEArCh quESTION AND SubquESTIONS
Each student is required to identify a problem within his/her
major field which the research
will intend to address. A research question proposal, written by
the student detailing what the
contemplated DRP will entail, is submitted to the seminar
professor for approval.
The research question and subquestions proposal consists of:
1. Topic
2. Statement of the problem
3. Specific research question and subquestions to be addressed
rESEArCh PrOPOSAL (ChAPTEr 1)
Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the DRP. This chapter
serves as the student’s research
proposal.
CHAPTER 1: InTRoduCTIon
After the research question and research subquestions are
approved, the student develops the
complete introduction for the professor’s review and approval.
This provides the reader with
a summary of the candidate’s research. In it, the researcher
outlines the research problem, the
research questions that need to be addressed to resolve this
problem, methods the researcher
has chosen to gather data to answer the research questions, and
possible implications of
resolving the research problem. Thus, Chapter 1 consists of:

15. 8
1. Context of the problem (background information and
introduction to the problem)
2. Statement of the problem
3. Specific research question and subquestions to address the
problem
4. Significance of the study (Why is this study important? Who
will benefit?)
5. Research design and methodology (How will this research be
conducted?) This section
is used to describe and justify the research methodology used
for collecting the data to
answer the candidate’s research questions. Note the guidelines
below.*
6. Organization of the study
7. Tentative Reference List
*Note: Guidelines for #5—Research Design and Methodology
rESEArCh quESTION AN D SubquESTIONS
Each student is required to identify a problem within his/her
major field which the research
will intend to address. A research question proposal, written by
the student detailing what the
contemplated DRP will entail, is submitted to the
It is generally required that a university establish an internal

16. review board (IRB) to scrutinize all
proposed research studies that involve human subjects. This is
necessary to assure that legal and
ethical procedures are followed. The manual entitled Research
and Strategic Communication
(Ormond & Leedy, 2010, p. 104) reiterates the requirement that
any college, university or
research institution will have an internal review board to protect
human subjects and their
privacy.
The two basic techniques for gathering data are primary and
secondary. Primary research
techniques are when information is obtained directly from a
person or his/her private records.
Primary research could involve interviews; surveys;
questionnaires; school, employment, and
health records; tests; observations; or any method that puts the
researcher in direct contact with
personal information related to the subject.
Secondary research information is obtained from primary
research sources. It could involve
scholarly books; peer reviewed journals; unpublished research
papers; information from federal,
state, county, or local governments; numerical data that is
available from government sources;
any data that has been published by private or nonprofit
organizations (this includes not for
profit organizations); and information available from a college,
university, or trade school.
Essentially, any information available in the public domain may
be analyzed in either a verbal
format or by applying statistical tests to numerical data to arrive
at a research conclusion.

17. Only the secondary research techniques and secondary data can
be used in the Directed Research
Project until Strayer establishes an Internal Review Board.
9
CHAPTER 2: REvIEw of THE LITERATuRE
In this chapter, the candidate reviews the main bodies of
existing knowledge and literature that
relate to addressing the research problem. It is during this
review that the candidate refines
the research questions that form the basis for his or her research
project. A DRP student is
expected to read, evaluate and synthesize at least twenty (20)
sources of literature relevant to
his/her research problem. While these sources will probably not
comprise a comprehensive
coverage of the available literature, they should reflect a
representative sampling of current and/
or classic findings and texts. This literature review is not an
annotated bibliography. Rather, the
review of the literature is used to examine relevant scholarly
sources and connections between
these sources with respect to analysis of factors such as the
following: comparisons, contrasts,
consistencies, inconsistencies, strengths, weaknesses,
reliability, validity, significance, limitations,
positions (and relation to the student’s perspective), theoretical
approaches, and/or research
methods.
Writing a review of the related literature takes planning and
organization, and the researcher
must emphasize the relationship of the literature to his/her

18. research topic. According to the
University of Toronto Writing Support website
(http://www.utoronto.ca/writing), the literature
review should “be organized around and related directly to the
thesis or research question…,
synthesize results into a summary of what is and is not known,
identify areas of controversy in
the literature, and formulate questions that need further
research.” Various general approaches
can be used to select and organize information for a literature
review. One common method is to
review the literature historically/chronologically. Through this
approach, the DRP student might
identify common threads or trends. Another option is to employ
an issue oriented approach
through exploration of specific themes, conflicts, or debates.
Research methods, theories, or
content related standards (e.g., legal standards, international
regulations, ethical guidelines, etc.)
could also be applied as criteria for analysis and organizational
frameworks for presentation of
the literature.
ThE rESEArCh ChAPTErS
Each research subquestion in the statement of the problem
becomes a separate chapter in
the body of the work. In other words, Research Subquestion 1
becomes Chapter 3, Research
Subquestion 2 becomes Chapter 4, etc. Major concepts from
each subquestion should be
reflected in short chapter titles.
In these chapters, the researcher lays out the data gathered via
the research methodology
described in Chapter 1 in a form easily accessible to the reader.
Any analyses presented in these

19. chapters relate only to relationships between the data and the
research methodology.
SuMMAry AND CONCLuSIONS ChAPTEr
In this final chapter, the research process is concluded. The
researcher describes how the research
problem is resolved through ways that the researcher’s findings
answer the research subquestions
of Chapter 1. It is in this chapter that the contributions to
knowledge, in the realm of theory, are
fully developed and described. This chapter also contains a
discussion of the limitations of the
analysis and suggestions for future research.
DrAFT OF ThE DIrECTED rESEArCh PrOjECT
The draft consists of the entire research project, including the
prefatory pages, introduction,
content chapters, summary, conclusion and bibliography. The
draft becomes the final project
once the student incorporates the professor’s proposed changes
and revisions upon completion of
the defense.
10
ThE FINAL PrOjECT
The final copy consists of:
PRELIMINARY PAGES (each separate; reference Keys for
Writers or the APA Publication
Manual for examples)
Title Page (required)

20. Approval Page (optional)
Abstract (required)
Acknowledgements (optional)
Table of Contents with page references, including preliminary
pages
List of tables with titles and page references
List of illustrations with titles and page references, including
figures, maps, etc.
INDIVIDUAL CHAPTERS
REFERENCES
APPENDIXES
Note: The final document should be at least forty (40) pages,
excluding appendixes.
ThE DEFENSE
The defense takes place at a time specified by the seminar
professor. At the discretion of the
DRP professor, this oral defense can be conducted one-on-one
with the student, or presented to
the professor and other invited faculty members, or attended by
seminar classmates and their
guests. A successful defense requires completion of all DRP
chapters according to the design in
this manual. The conclusion must address the research question,
and it must be justified by the
research findings reported in the summary section.

21. 11
SECTION 4:
The Directed research
Project Proposal
ThE DrP PrOPOSAL FLOw ChArT
1 Context of the Problem
2 Statement of the Problem
3
Primary Research Question or Hypothesis
and Subquestions or Subhypotheses
4 Significance of the Study
5 Research Design and Methodology
6 Organization of the Study
7 Prospective References
12
SECTION 5:
Characteristics
of research

22. The research project focuses on a question in which the
researcher intentionally sets out to
enhance an understanding of a phenomenon and expects to
communicate what was discovered
to the larger community. Leedy and Ormrod (2010) advise:
“Research is the systematic process
of collecting and analyzing information or data in order to
increase our understanding of the
phenomenon about which we are concerned or interested” (p. 2).
ChArACTErISTICS OF rESEArCh
Research originates with a question or problem.1.
Research requires clear articulation of a goal.2.
Research requires a specific plan for proceeding. 3.
Research usually divides the principal problem into more
manageable subproblems.4.
Research is guided by the specific research problem, question,
or hypothesis.5.
Research accepts certain critical assumptions.6.
Research requires the collection and interpretation of data in an
attempt to resolve 7.
the problem that initiated the research.
Research is, by its nature, cyclical or, more exactly, helical.8.
Leedy & Ormrod, 2010, pp. 2-3
13

23. SECTION 6:
Planning and Designing
The research Proposal
The DRP proposal provides the framework whereby the central
research problem can be
subjectively or objectively advanced. Leedy & Ormrod (2010)
list the following among the key
questions for planning and designing the DRP proposal:
KEy quESTIONS FOr PLANNING AND DESIGNING ThE DrP
PrOPOSAL
Purpose What does the researcher want to know, and why does
the researcher
want to know? What does the researcher want to be able to
decide or
offer as a result of the research? Why?
Target Audience Who will be interested in this research when it
is completed? Is anyone
providing funding, other resources, or support?
Data Needs and
Collection
What kinds of information or data (published information,
publicly
available numerical data, literature reviews, published
interviews,
documents, historical records, videotapes, annotated
bibliographies,
and/or other secondary sources) are needed to conduct an
analysis,
draw conclusions, and make decisions or recommendations?

24. How
can this data or information be collected? What are the
identifiable
resources available to support information or data collection?
14
Data Analysis What methodology seems most appropriate for
analysis and
interpretation of the data? The researcher must select an
approach that
is relevant to both the research question and available secondary
source
data such as a content analysis of written documents, historical
trend
analysis, correlational study, case study analysis, theory
development,
or analysis of conceptual representations.
Time Line When is the information or data needed? When must
it be collected?
How does data collection fit in with the overall research project
time
line?
Significance Why or how is the study important? Who or what
will benefit from the
research and work-product? Why?
The design of the DRP provides the overall structure for the
procedures the DRP student follows,
the information and data that the DRP student collects, and the
information or data analysis
the DRP student conducts. Simply put, the research design is

25. the most significant part of the
DRP proposal. Once a supervising faculty member approves the
proposal, it becomes the DRP
Chapter 1 – Introduction.
COMPONENTS OF ThE DrP PrOPOSAL
The seven parts of the DRP proposal include the context of the
problem, statement of the
problem, research question and subquestions or hypothesis and
subhypotheses, significance of
the study, research design and methodology, organization of the
study, and prospective reference
list.
Step 1. Context of the Problem sets up the research statement
with background, purpose and
perhaps some support from the literature or acceptable literature
alternatives. It is here that the
DRP problem or issue is discussed and gives a transitory
explanation of what the completed
research work-product will most likely contain.
Step 2. Statement of the Problem. The DRP research statement
of the problem is a three part
statement: an introductory sentence, a problem sentence, and a
transition/closing sentence.
Introductory Sentence: The first sentence introduces the topic of
the research problem that is of
primary interest to the DRP student.
Example:
“Organizational Behavior touts itself as a field that extracts its
contents
from various social sciences.”
The Problem Sentence: The second sentence presents the

26. structure from which the research
question will be derived.
Example:
“A review of academic and professional journals reveals no
studies
illustrating the Organizational Behavior/Social Science
linkage.”
15
The Transition/Closing Sentence: The third sentence is a
transition or closing sentence.
Example:
“Universities use an Organizational Behavior interdisciplinary
approach to educate business professionals about behaviors
occurring
within organizations and the Organizational Behavior/Social
Science
relationship.”
Anyone with or without expertise in this intended research area
of interest can immediately
understand where the DRP research effort is headed and why.
This provides a basis for how the
DRP student will relate the DRP research conclusion back to the
statement of the problem, and
either the primary research question or hypothesis as the
research moves forward.
Step 3. Research Question/Hypothesis and
Subquestions/Subhypotheses. The research question
or hypothesis is derived from the statement of the problem. This

27. provides a clear basis for the
research to be done. The research question/hypothesis can be
broken into applicable manageable
subquestions or subhypotheses.
Example:
Research Question and Subquestions
The purpose of this research is to determine the following:
How do
universities use Organizational Behavior’s interdisciplinary
approach to
educate business professionals about behaviors within
organizations and
the Organizational Behavior/Social Science relationship? To
answer this
question, the following subquestions will be addressed:
1. What is Organizational Behavior’s core body of knowledge
and
interdisciplinary approach? (Qualitative)
2. What Social Science concepts influence the Organizational
Behavior
field’s core body of knowledge and the correlation between
them?
(Quantitative)
3. How are business professionals educated about behaviors
occurring in
organizations? (Qualitative)
16

28. Step 4. Significance of the Study. The Significance of the Study
section is the researcher’s
opportunity to explain why the research problem under study is
significant in theory and/or
practice. The following example of a declaration of significance
may be helpful:
Example:
Significance of the Study
This case study is important because it recognizes the value and
benefits
of conducting e-business on the WWW.
The study will help clarify the nature of warranted change and
how a
significant segment of the corporate structure communicates
strategically
in business and the professions. This research is also of
importance
because it will add to the growing base of knowledge about e-
business
and the WWW global market place. A third consideration of the
significance is that much more can be learned about what
companies can
do to be successful and to circumvent initial failure in the first
place. It is
expected that insights will be gained regarding management and
the need
for effective strategic communication.
To the extent this study reveals how e-business can be
successful,
corporate management may or may not need to be concerned
with
whether or not organizational policy changes are necessary, or

29. whether
the phenomena are matters of environmental business changes
of the
day; then the study will have contributed to a better
understanding that
is unique to the larger WWW e-business community.
Step 5. Research Design and Methodology. There are two kinds
of DRP research design–
qualitative and quantitative. The first sentence of the section
explains which kind of design the
student will use.
Qualitative research focuses on understanding phenomena,
rather than predicting as in the
application of traditional quantitative or statistical research.
The methodology section describes the procedures the DRP will
follow, describes the information
and/or data that the student will collect, and describes how the
student will develop conclusions
to address the purpose of the study.
17
PrEMISES OF ThE quALITATIvE AND quANTITATIvE
rESEArCh
Qualitative Quantitative
Research Definition A formal systematic, realistic
and consistent subjective strategy
for obtaining information
about a targeted research
group or individual situation

30. that can be used to describe
life experiences and give them
meaning. Qualitative researchers
explain the complexity of their
data using a literary (or written)
style.
A formal systematic, realistic
and consistent objective strategy
for obtaining information about
a targeted research population.
A method used to describe,
test relationships, and examine
cause and effect relationships.
Quantitative researchers
typically use descriptive
and inferential statistics to
summarize their data.
Research Goal The realistic goal is to clearly
identify a primary research
question to answer and gain an
understanding and insight by
exploring the depth, richness,
and complexity inherent in
phenomena.
The realistic goal is to clearly
identify the primary research
hypothesis, test relationships,
find facts, describe and examine
cause and effect relations.
Research Objectives A prioritized arrangement of specific key
researchable and
measurable research questions and subquestions; or specific key

31. measurable research hypothesis and subhypotheses,
respectively.
Research Objectives The creation of a unique, appropriate,
timely design, techniques and
activities appropriate for the research objective(s) and goal(s)
that
are consistent and synergistic. Because credibility, reliability
and
validity weigh heavily upon the research outcome, it is
important
for the researcher to “do the right thing and do things right.”
Note: See Leedy and Ormrod (2005) pp. 97, 105 – 107,
Comparing Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches.
Step 6. Organization of the Study. This section is the
researcher’s opportunity to present the
research chapters and sections in brief, describing how the total
research effort will be presented.
In particular, it means each research chapter is presented in four
to five sentences indicating what
actions the researcher will perform in the research process.
Step 7. Proposed Reference List. This is a preliminary report of
at least ten potential sources.
These sources are listed in APA style in alphabetical order by
authors’ last names.
18
SECTION 7:
writing the

32. research Chapters
DRP research starts with the statement of the problem, a
research question (and subquestions)
or research hypothesis (and subhypotheses), and terminates with
answers to the research
question or hypothesis.
Descriptive research and writing is a process, a set of steps, not
a project that is started and
finished in a single session. These steps in the writing process
group themselves naturally into
two phases, and each phase requires an approach. The first
phase is composing — the DRP
student should be very free and creative. The second phase is
editing — the DRP student must
evaluate, rewrite, reject, and correct the materials that were
developed while composing. In
the end, the two questions to be asked are:
1. Did the DRP student do what was offered in the DRP
proposal?
2. Did the DRP student do what was supposed to be done?
Creative writing on the part of the DRP researcher can make
DRP writing interesting. The
main intention of the DRP writing and style must be to ensure
effective communications,
clarity and understanding. DRP students who need to improve
their writing skills must work
to develop adequate writing skills for DRP purposes.
Fortunately, help is plentiful. Help is
available from faculty, books, electronic media and the Internet,
even if it means revisiting the
basics of grammar.

33. Regardless of the level of a researcher’s writing and
communications capabilities, all DRP
researchers benefit from editors or other types of readers who
can offer independent
observations and feedback. Before releasing the final DRP
work-product, the DRP student is
wise to seek that last independent observation with feedback as
one more assurance of having
done things well.
19
CITING ThE LITErATurE
DRP research does not have to prove everything written, but it
should contain enough support
to be convincing to the Strayer University faculty. The
literature support is essential to the
DRP having a principle source of information or data. The DRP
student reads and reviews the
literature for different purposes:
• to obtain and present general knowledge,
information or data,
• to obtain and present specific knowledge,
information or data, or
• to identify and establish an idea, relationship
between ideas, or research problem with
support.
Whether the DRP research effort quotes, paraphrases, or
summarizes, it is important to record

34. the extracted original source material properly, especially
specialized information or data that
is not common knowledge. There are clear distinctions between
quotations, paraphrases, and
summaries.
DRP research benefits from quotations, paraphrases, and
summaries of relevant work already
done. Sometimes the DRP student may wish to highlight a
disagreement on a subject, or just
make a point or two, or extend the breadth or depth of the DRP
research work-product.
Example: The following includes a dialogue on “Organizational
Strategy” from McCray et al.
(1985) to show how the researcher benefited from the
contributions of others and is able to
convey this through a documented literature review and a list of
references:
Translated into organizational terms, Simon (1976) refers to
organization
as the complex pattern of communication and relationships in a
group
of human beings (p. xvii). It is the view of Barnard (1968) that
the most
useful concept of cooperative systems is embodied in the
definition of
organization as a system of consciously coordinated activities
or forces
(p. 73). Follett (1977) adds, “the form of organization should be
such
as to allow or induce the continuous coordination of the
experience
of men” (p. 121). As a matter of fact, the administrative head is
not

35. the man in whom all control is centered, but the leader of many
with
specific control according to Follett (p. 123). The views of
Simon (1976),
Barnard (1968), Follett (1977) & Tilles (1972) strongly suggest
that
an organization be consistent: “Hence an important test of
strategy
is whether the chosen policies are consistent with the
environment –
whether they really make sense with respect to what is going on
outside”
(p. 154). Accordingly, Bonge and Colman (1972 enumerated
that “the
consideration of problems and the formulation of strategies to
increase
viability of an organization requires the consideration of many
variables
and the assessment of many alternatives... (p. 1). Finally, in the
view
20
of Polivka and Stryker (1983), their experience indicates
program
evaluation can play a consistently influential part in the
development
process if certain conditions are met (p. 259). This is with an
understanding from Lau (1988) that even with a literature
review, there
is a lag between some of the theoretical developments and the
practical
implementation of a successful organizational strategy. In a
practical

36. sense as well, there is also a significant gap between the top
managers’
strategic knowledge and their ability to use knowledge. In fact,
the
challenge to overcome are some of the particular perspectives
that tend
to behold their organizations without adequately addressing the
need for
applicability in their business environment.
rESEArCh SAMPLING
A sample is a restricted and limited part of a statistical research
population, whose properties are
studied to gain information about the whole research population
of interest. It must be attained
with awareness, however, of the significance of different ways
of sampling and determining
an appropriate sample size. DRP research must present
conclusions about an entire research
population based on the use of inferential statistics; therefore,
sampling enables the DRP research
to determine or estimate the intended research population’s
characteristics by directly examining
only a representative portion.
Remember, it is important to confine research samples used in
the DRP to data that has been
published or is available to the general public. This means that
secondary data can be used
in devising a sample; however, current laws and regulations
prohibit gathering primary data
without approval of an Internal Review Board (IRB), which
Strayer University does not have
at the present time. Thus, students cannot use primary data
collection methods, including
interviews, questionnaires, tests, survey documents or

37. observations.
ANALySIS AND FINDINGS
The DRP researcher’s analysis, findings and conclusions have
an important place in the final DRP
research work-product. Research readers will be looking for
clarity as the number one objective.
Analysis of the data and findings of the research should be
reported in relation to the research
methodology.
21
SECTION 8:
The Final Chapter –
Summary and
Conclusions
The final chapter has three sections: an Introduction, the
Summary and Conclusion(s). The
introduction provides a concise statement of the purpose of the
study, research subquestions,
and the methodology used.
In the summary section, the researcher provides the most
important substantive details of the
research conducted in the previous research chapters. A DRP
summary must convey a very
clear and positive influence, providing a cogent grasp of the
research interest and findings.
The research summary is an objective and impartial
representation of the total DRP research
project, which should be fully comprehensible to someone who

38. is not familiar with the DRP
research effort. The summary usually ranges from one to three
pages.
The conclusion section presents research conclusions based on
the consolidated summary
of the analyses and findings as reported in the summary section.
The research conclusions
are inferences or deductions based on evidence presented in the
body of the DRP research
chapters. This is not something simply repeated earlier.
Previously, the DRP research analysis
and findings were merely summarized and not concluded.
The DRP student must not only present logical conclusions but
must also demonstrate how the
conclusion(s) derived answer the research question or address
the hypothesis.
Strayer University DRP researchers are advised to avoid of
stating that something was proved.
This is because the time and resources available for proving
something are extremely limited,
or the something the DRP student is after just may not be
possible to prove. The DRP
researcher is advised to rely on and put into words what a
preponderance of the best evidence
provides, rather than attempting to position the research effort
as having proved something.
22
SECTION 9:

39. DrP Format
requirements
ThE FINAL DrP
PRELIMINARY PAGES consists of:
Title Page
Approval Page (optional)
Abstract (required)
Acknowledgements (optional)
Table of Contents with page references, including preliminary
pages
List of tables with titles and page references
List of illustrations with titles and page references, including
figures, maps,
etc.
INDIVIDUAL CHAPTERS
REFERENCES
APPENDIXES
23
Check when
Completed

40. Paper Type the document on one side only; use 8-1/2 X 11, 20-
pound white
bond paper.
Font Use one of the following type faces: 12-point Times
Roman or 12-point
Courier. Script fonts are not acceptable.22
Margins Use one-inch margins at the top, bottom, and right
sides. You must
leave a one and one-half inch margin on the left side to allow
space for
binding the DRP. Do not right justify margin.
Spacing Double space throughout the document. Double-space
after every
line of the title, headings, quotations, references, etc. Single
spacing is
acceptable for table and figure captions or footnotes. The APA
Manual
states that single spacing can also be used for long quotes
and/or for
references as long as double spacing is used between references
Paragraphs Indent all paragraphs five to seven spaces; this is
about a half-inch indent
on word-processors. Leave the right margin uneven or “ragged
right.”
Do not break (hyphenate) words at the ends of lines. Do not end
any
page with less than two lines of text. Ensure all paragraphs are
at least
three complete sentences with completed thoughts.
Pagination Type page numbers in Arabic numerals placed at the
header upper right

41. corner of each page, 1 inch from the top and right side. The
Publication
Manual of the American Psychological Association does note,
however,
that an automatic default is typically set ½ inch from the top of
the page
in word-processing software, and this is allowable. It is also
acceptable
to change the page number position, if necessary, on full-page
figures
or tables. Continue page numbering through the appendix/ces.
Use
lowercase Roman numerals for all preliminary pages following
the Title
Page. The running head is not needed on these preliminary
pages.
Title Page The title page contains the full and complete title of
the work-product, a
running head for publication, and the researcher’s name and
institutional
affiliation. APA does allow style exceptions for college theses
and
dissertations; therefore, a page header and Arabic page number
1 do not
need to be included on the title page.
Approval Page (See Section 10.)
Abstract The word Abstract is centered as the first line of the
Abstract page.
The Abstract for the finished DRP is a separate page and a brief
comprehensive summary of the finished DRP. The abstract
contains
three parts: Introduction, Summary and Conclusions. The
Introduction

42. provides a brief statement of the research question and
subquestions
and a description of the methodology used by the researcher.
The
Summary includes a synopsis of all important findings of the
research
chapters. The Conclusion contains a brief statement of
implications
and/or recommendations. The abstract is single spaced
throughout and,
according to APA style, should not exceed 120 words.
Acknowledgements
Table of Contents Every manuscript must contain a table of
contents and, if appropriate, a
list of tables, maps or illustrations.
24
Tables and Lists of
Figures
It is practical to label every Table and Figure, with the words
Table
and Figure, and use an Arabic numeral to identify each. The text
accompanying tables and figures may be single or double-
spaced; this
recommendation must remain flexible. All tables and figures
larger than
a page in size appear at the end of the DRP in the appendixes
with each table or figure on a separate page. Each table and
figure must be listed, and the list of tables and figures must be
placed in the first section of the DRP right after the table of

43. contents.
Chapter Titles Each Research Chapter should start on a new
page and be headed with
a title. For example, Chapter 1 might be established as the
Introduction.
(This is acceptable for the DRP, a thesis, or a dissertation, even
though
the Introduction is typically not identified as such in other
writings
using APA style.) The chapter title is typed in uppercase and
lowercase
letters, centered one inch below the top of the page. It is not
placed in
bold type or italics. (See the APA Manual regarding “Heading
Levels.”)
Numbering each chapter is optional.
Hyphenation Type a line short or just beyond the right-hand
margin rather than break
a word at the end of a line. If a decision must be made as to
when, where
or how to hyphenate a word, the DRP student is advised to
consult the
dictionary.
Document Style* The student must use APA style and
consistently follow its usage through
the paper as outlined in the APA manual.
Parenthetical
References
Each source reference is cited in parentheses within the body of
the text.

44. Reference List The Reference List begins on a new page and
includes all sources the
DRP student relied upon. Type the word References centered
one-inch
below the top of the page.
All sources used for the Direct Research Project must be
included in
the references. Sources must be listed in alphabetical order by
authors’
surnames. Entries themselves may be single or double-spaced,
with the
first line flush to the left margin; indent five spaces for any
lines which
follow. Double-spacing may be used throughout or to separate
single-
spaced entries. References used should not be older than five
years,
except for works considered to be “classics.”
Appendices Appendixes (each appendix document) – Appendix
A through the
last appendix should each be preceded with a titled appendix
page.
Appendixes will usually include a copy of any document used
by the
DRP student that was important to the research effort.
Minimum # of
pages
Final document should be at least forty (40) pages, excluding
appendixes.
*The student shall affirm that each of the format requirements
is complied with upon submission of the final copy.

45. 25
SECTION 10:
Certificate of Approval
Form
STrAyEr uNIvErSITy CErTIFICATE OF APPrOvAL FOrM
A DrP ENTITLED
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________
By
_________________________________________________
We hereby certify that this DRP submitted by
_________________________________________
conforms to acceptable standards, and as such is fully adequate
in scope and quality.
It is therefore approved as the fulfillment of the requirement of
the degree of
_____________________________________________________
___________________________.
Approved:___________________________________________

46. Supervising Faculty:
___________________________________________
Peer Review/Technical Advisor:
___________________________________________
Note: The instructor may wish to require that the student
include this form, once completed, in the preliminary pages of
the final DRP.
26
SECTION 11:
DrP Evaluation Form
EvALuATION FOrM
Student’s Name:
_______________________________________
Campus:___________________
E = Excellent; S = Satisfactory; M = Marginal; U =
Unsatisfactory N = Not Applicable
A. Title Page
1. Conforms to format. E S M U N
2. Topic reflects the nature of the study clearly. E S M U N
B. Abstract
1. Conforms to format. E S M U N
2. Is written in the past tense. E S M U N
3. Nature of the problem is stated E S M U N
4. Purpose of the study is stated. E S M U N

47. 5. Specific hypotheses and/or basic research questions are
stated. E S M U N
6. Procedures are stated (research design and methodology). E S
M U N
7. Results are summarized. E S M U N
8. Conclusions are summarized. E S M U N
9. Recommendations are summarized. E S M U N
Comments:
_____________________________________________________
______________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________________
Note: The instructor may wish to use the following form to
provide feedback to the student.
27
C. Table of Contents
1. Appropriate format has been followed. E S M U N
2 List of tables and/or figures is included as necessary. E S M U
N
3. Abbreviations are included as necessary. E S M U N
Comments:
_____________________________________________________
______________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________________

48. _____________________________________________________
_________________________________________
D. Chapter 1 – Introduction
1. Background and context of the problem are stated precisely
and clearly. E S M U N
2. Statement of the problem is stated precisely and clearly. E S
M U N
3. Main research question and sub-research questions are stated
clearly. E S M U N
4. Research hypothesis are stated clearly if appropriate. E S M
U N
5. Significance of the study is stated clearly. E S M U N
6. Research design and methodology are stated clearly. E S M U
N
7. Premises of the qualitative and quantitative research are
stated clearly. E S M U N
8. Research chapters and sections are clearly stated in the
organization of the
study section of Chapter 1.
E S M U N
Comments:
_____________________________________________________
______________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________________
E. Chapter 2 – Review of Literature
1. Chapter introduction presents a conceptual overview,
rationale, and
framework for the project.

49. E S M U N
2. Correct use of present and past tense. E S M U N
3. Entries are adequate and relevant. E S M U N
4. The literature review is organized by concepts or topics with
appropriate
headings and authorship..
E S M U N
5. Summary statements of the relationship between the review
literature and the
research or practicum are included.
E S M U N
Comments:
_____________________________________________________
______________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________________
F. Methodology
1. Appropriate methodology is stated (Research, Evaluation,
Development). E S M U N
2. Procedures are consistent with proposal; if not, reasons are
explained. E S M U N
3. Procedures appropriately address research questions/research
hypothesis. E S M U N
4. Procedures are delineated sufficiently and clearly to permit
replication. E S M U N
5. Procedures and treatment of data are appropriate for the
methodology

50. selected.
E S M U N
6. Assumptions are stated clearly. E S M U N
7. Limitations are stated clearly. E S M U N
Comments:
_____________________________________________________
______________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________________
28
G. Results
1. Results are stated descriptively (evaluative statements are not
included). E S M U N
2. Results are reported accurately and derived from the
procedures. E S M U N
3. Outcome of each procedural component is stated sequentially.
E S M U N
4. Table and/or figures, if applicable, are clear, labeled and
representative of
appropriate data.
E S M U N
5. Table and/or figures, if applicable, are referenced and
summarized in text. E S M U N
Comments:
_____________________________________________________

51. ______________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________________
H. Discussion, Conclusions, Implications, and
Recommendations
1. Discussion demonstrates interrelationship of results, purpose
and review of
literature.
E S M U N
2. Conclusions are stated and flow logically from the
discussion. E S M U N
3. Implications are stated and flow logically from the
conclusions. E S M U N
4. Recommendations are stated and E S M U N
a. are logically derived from implications; E S M U N
b. flow logically from the conclusions and improve educational
practices, if
implemented;
E S M U N
c. include statements for dissemination of results; and E S M U
N
d. include statements for further research. E S M U N
5. Table and/or figures, if applicable, are referenced and
summarized in text. E S M U N
Comments:
_____________________________________________________

52. ______________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________________
I. Appendixes (if applicable)
1. Materials included are appropriate. E S M U N
2. Proper references to the appendixes are included in the text.
E S M U N
3. Format is appropriate and conforms to Guidelines for
Form/Style and APA. E S M U N
Comments:
_____________________________________________________
______________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________________
29
J. Technical Aspects
S = Satisfactory; SC = See Comments; NA = Not Applicable
Application of the PHE Form/Style and APA Guidelines Quality
of Writing
APA S SC NA General writing style S SC NA
Copy Quality S SC NA Editing S SC NA
Headings S SC NA Organization S SC NA
Margins S SC NA S SC NA
Neatness S SC NA S SC NA
Spacing S SC NA S SC NA

53. S SC NA S SC NA
S SC NA S SC NA
Comments:
_____________________________________________________
______________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________________
Documentation
Citations S SC NA
Quotations S SC NA
Reference Lists S SC NA
Comments:
_____________________________________________________
______________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________________
Grades _________A _________B __________C
_____________Pass _________Revise
*Date:__________________________
Evaluator’s signature:
_____________________________________________________
_____________________
* The student could be given some time (from this date) to
revise and receive a
passing grade for this practicum report.

54. [ ] Should be rewritten for publication.
[ ] Should be submitted to ERIC.
Notes
Notes
Notes
Student Sheet
Name:
Date:
Instructor’s Name:
Assignment: SCIE207 Phase 5 Lab Report
Title: Taxonomy Lab to Show Organism Relationships
Instructions: You will need to fill out the data table and answer
a set of questions.
When your lab report is complete, submit this document to your
instructor in your assignment box.

55. Part 1: Using the lab animation, fill in the following data tables
to help you answer the questions that follow:
Table 1: Samples 1–5
Phylum/Class
Sample 1: Chrysophyta
Sample 2: Annelida
Sample 3: Arthropoda
Sample 4: Amphibia
Sample 5: Aves
Common Feature
Nutrition
How does the organism break down and absorb food?
Circulatory System (Transport)
How does the organism get what it needs to the cells (open,
closed, diffusion only)?
Respiratory System
How does the organism get oxygen and release carbon dioxide?

56. Reproductive System
Does the organism use asexual or sexual reproduction (eggs,
seeds, spores, placenta, and type of fertilization)?
Excretory System
How does the organism get rid of waste and maintain an ionic
balance of fluids?
Growth and Development
Does the organism go through metamorphosis, develop in an
egg or uterus, or grow from seeds?
Regulation
How does the organism control body processes (hormones,
nervous system)?

57. Sample Organism
Table 2: Samples 6–10
Phylum/Class
Sample 6: Reptilia
Sample 7: Mammalia
Sample 8: Bryophyta
Sample 9:
Pinophyta
Sample 10: Anthrophyta
Common Feature
Nutrition
How does the organism break down and absorb food?
Circulatory System (Transport)

58. How does the organism get what it needs to the cells (open,
closed, diffusion only)?
Respiratory System
How does the organism get oxygen and release carbon dioxide?
Reproductive System
Does the organism use asexual or sexual reproduction (eggs,
seeds, spores, placenta, and type of fertilization)?
Excretory System
How does the organism get rid of waste and maintain an ionic
balance of fluids?
Growth and Development
Does the organism go through metamorphosis, develop in an

59. egg or uterus, or grow from seeds?
Regulation
How does the organism control body processes (hormones,
nervous system)?
Sample Organism
Part 2: Using only information from your completed data table,
answer the following questions:
1. What is common among organisms from samples 1, 9, and
10?
2. What is common between the circulatory systems of
organisms from samples 5, 6, and 7, but is different in
organisms from sample 4?
3. What is common in the respiration systems of the organisms
from samples 2 and 4?
4. What gas is taken in by the respiratory system of organisms
from samples 1, 9, and 10? How is it used by these organisms?
5. According to the table, which organisms are producers
(autotrophic)?
6. According to the table, which organisms are consumers

60. (heterotrophic)?
7. Which organisms have true blood? Which have a blood-like
substance?